Negotiating content controls

1. A method of administering access to an electronic conference with a plurality of users over a network, the network including at least one host device and a plurality of client devices, the method comprising:

receiving at the host device, an electronic instruction configured to establish the electronic conference;

enabling more than one user of the plurality of users to generate content restrictions that limit content rendered during the electronic conference,

wherein each of the more than one user is associated with one of said client devices;

receiving at the host device, proposed content restrictions provided by each of the more than one user;

comparing, by the host device, the proposed content restrictions received from each user of the more than one user to the content restrictions received from each other user of the more than one user;

identifying one or more disputed parameters in the proposed content restrictions based on the comparing,

prompting each client device associated with the more than one user to resolve the disputed parameters by:

automatically identifying, based on identifying the one or more disputed parameters, a list of potential solutions;

presenting, to a conference administrator in association with the disputed parameters, a list of potential solutions that may be selected by the user in order to identify a solution to the disputed parameters,

asking the more than one user to select a value, from among the list of potential solutions, for the disputed parameters,

determining if a value from the list of potential solutions is agreed-to by the more than one user based on the more than one user selecting a value in response to the asking the more than one user to select the value,

removing parameters having less than a threshold of support, and

using the selected value as the value for the disputed parameters if the value is agreed-to by the more than one user;

locking down agreed-to parameters appearing in the proposed content restrictions so that the more than one user cannot change a status of the agreed-to parameters;

enabling the more than one user to engage in continued negotiations to resolve remaining disputed parameters of the one or more disputed parameter while precluding the more than one user from modifying the agreed to parameters that have been locked down;

analyzing one or more participant devices to ensure compliance with the content restrictions;

establishing the electronic conference in accordance with the content restrictions; and

enabling user access to the electronic conference consistent with the content restrictions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling access to the electronic conference through a telephone network.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling access to the electronic conference through an instant messaging interface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling user access to the electronic conference includes regulating which user identities are subsequently allowed to access reproductions of the electronic conference.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling user access to the electronic conference includes regulating which systems are subsequently allowed to access reproductions of the electronic conference.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling user access to the electronic conference includes regulating which streams of content within the electronic conference may be accessed.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

negotiating a watermark capability between the users prior to establishment of the electronic conference; and

inserting into content of the electronic conference a watermark indicative of the content restrictions.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the disputed parameters includes identifying parameters in the proposed content restrictions for which all of the more than one users do not agree.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the disputed parameters includes identifying parameters in the proposed content restrictions for which a majority of the more than one user do not agree.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein removing parameters having less than a threshold of support includes removing parameters that none of the users supported, removing parameters that less than a specified portion of users supported, and removing parameters that less than a specified number of users supported.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein prompting the more than one user to resolve the disputed parameters includes removing parameters associated with a greater risk for improper use.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein prompting the more than one user to resolve the disputed parameters includes enabling the users to select from smaller subset of default parameters.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising

receiving proposed content restrictions provided by the more than one user;

comparing the proposed content restrictions;

identifying one or more disputed parameters in the proposed content restrictions; and

substituting the disputed parameters with default parameters.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising

receiving proposed content restrictions provided by the more than one user; comparing the proposed content restrictions;

identifying one or more disputed parameters in the proposed content restrictions;

engaging in a limited exchange of prompts with the more than one user to resolve the disputed parameters by highlighting the disputed parameters and asking the more than one users to select a value for the disputed parameters; and

after the limited exchange of prompts has been performed, substituting the disputed parameters with default parameters.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving content restrictions from the more than one user that differ by at least parameter between different users; and

assimilating the content restrictions into an electronic agreement.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein assimilating the content restrictions into an electronic agreement includes exchanging proposals and counterproposals until all conference participants agree to identical content restrictions.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein agreeing to identical content restrictions includes agreeing to allow a first user to have a different capability than a second user.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein assimilating the content restrictions into the electronic agreement includes exchanging proposals and counterproposals until a majority of users agree to identical content restrictions.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein assimilating the content restrictions into the electronic agreement includes exchanging proposals and counterproposals using content restrictions provided by a conference manager designated as required parameters and using other content restrictions that are not required parameters.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein assimilating the content restrictions into the electronic agreement includes:

enabling a limited exchange of proposals and counterproposals;

identifying compromise parameters likely to be acceptable to one or more users; and

using the compromise parameters for the electronic agreement.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the electronic conference includes enabling one or more users to exchange sidebar communications, wherein the sidebar communications represent private communications exchanged between a user-defined subset of conference participants.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein enabling user access to the electronic conference consistent with the content restrictions includes selectively enabling users to exchange sidebar communications consistent with sidebar-oriented content restrictions.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling one or more users to generate content restrictions includes enabling a user to specify a user to

(1) use screen capture software,

(2) use stream recording software,

(3) access archived content,

(4) refuse participation when other users do not agree to specified content restrictions,

(5) require specified content restrictions,

(6) specify how input from the user may be used, or

(7) specify that a royalty must be paid.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the participant devices includes probing for screen capture software, stream recording software, or an electronic microphone attached to the participant device.